1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an illumination device for a multineedle sewing machine provided with a plurality of needle bars having lower ends to which needles are attached, respectively and a needle bar case which supports the needle bars so that the needle bars are movable upward and downward, and the multineedle sewing machine provided with the illumination device.
2. Related Art
There have conventionally been provided multineedle sewing machines of the above-described type which include an illumination device for illuminating a needle base of each needle or a surface of workpiece cloth. More specifically, a fluorescent lamp serving as an illumination device is mounted on an underside of a needle bar case so as to hang forward along juxtaposition of the needle bars, whereupon the needle base of each needle bar is adapted to be sufficiently illuminated by the fluorescent lamp.
On the other hand, in general sewing machines other than the multineedle sewing machine, a holder for an illuminating member has been proposed which is operable to hold an illuminator side member serving as an illuminating member on a sewing machine side member. The holder includes a pipe bracket provided on an upper surface of an arm of the sewing machine and a support pipe which supports the illuminating member on a distal end of the bracket with a hinge being interposed therebetween so that the illuminating member is pivotable. In the proposed holder, hinges are also mounted on ends and middle portions of the support pipe other than the aforesaid hinge, so that the support pipe or the illuminating member is caused to pivot with the hinge portions serving as a fulcrum. As a result, the position of the illuminating member can be adjusted, whereupon a desired portion such as the periphery of needlepoint of each needle can be illuminated.
However, the fluorescent lamp sometimes becomes an obstacle in the threading of a needle thread or in replacement of needles in the above-described former multineedle sewing machine since the fluorescent lamp is located in front of the needle bars and the needle thread.
In the above-described holder for the illuminating member, the illuminating member can be moved to a location where the illuminating member does not become an obstacle in a maintenance work or the like. In this case, however, the illuminating member is moved from an optimum location that has been set by the user to another location. Accordingly, the illuminating member needs to be readjusted or reset to the former location after completion of the maintenance work or the like. The readjustment is troublesome.
More specifically, when an illuminating member is fixedly mounted in the multineedle sewing machine or when an illuminating member is provided so that the location thereof is adjustable by application of the aforesaid holder, both cases involve respective disadvantages. Accordingly, it has been desired to overcome both disadvantages at simultaneously.